Eban Says Seize Chance for Peace

Israeli elder statesman Abba Eban has warned Israelis of the danger of missing the present opportunity to make peace with the Arab world.

Eban, a former foreign minister and longtime dove, said Israelis, especially the younger generation, would look back with a profound sense of regret and demoralization if the present negotiations between Israel and all its Arab neighbors did not produce peace.

He urged that people not become despondent over periodic halts in the process. Such periods took place in the years between 1977, when Anwar Sadat first launched his peace initiative, and 1982, when the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt was finally implemented, he said.